Employment and training snapshot
For the occupation of Electrician, and although there have been some fluctuations in between, employment levels have doubled overall from around 83,500 in 2001 to 169,300 in 2021. These figures are expected to decline over the next four years. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics have also experienced overall growth in the same period, but those increases are expected to continue to 2025.
The occupation of Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians has fluctuated over the years, more than doubling from 2001 to a peak of 14,200 in 2009. Employment levels have declined since then to 8,200 in 2021, however those figures are projected to remain stable in the next four years.
The occupations of Telecommunications Trades Worker and Electronic Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians have experienced some variation in employment levels between 2001 and 2021, but overall the figures have both declined by approximately half (by 48% and 53% respectively). A small increase in employment levels to 7,500 is predicted by 2025 for Electronic Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians, while employment levels for Telecommunications Trades Workers are expected to almost double to 29,400 by 2025.
The employment levels for Electronics Trades Workers has decreased by just over 20% since 2001, with a continued decrease in employment levels predicted by 2025.
Program enrolments in the Electrotechnology Training Package declined to roughly 60,300 in 2018 but have since increased each year to peak in 2020 at approximately 64,150, up from the previous high of 63,160 in 2017. Program completions have declined to 15,820 in 2020, but levels are still above the low point of 14,890 in 2017.
Over the past five years, around 90% of subjects were delivered as part of a nationally recognised program.